crystal.

[mournwitch]

FORM: A crystal message
SENDER: Athénaïs Tavarys
RECIPIENT: All y’all

( the voice that comes across the crystals is a woman’s, nevarran accented, likely familiar to some— maybe some more than others. she’d joined riftwatch in nevarra, following them back to kirkwall from the necropolis alongside professor volkarin; presently, she’s set herself up in the thaig, which is where she’s reaching out to the crystals from,

though it’s not only her voice audible. there’s a slightly muffled cacophony of hideous grinding sounds in the background as she opens, )

So, is someone missing an incredibly mobile teapot.

Comments

[anthracite]

[ he's had the thought before.

maybe not when the door kicked in — the bat found his skull too quick. and not down in the dark, pressed back to shivering back, a heavier head lolled onto his shoulder and his own still spinning; trying to work their way back to sunlight. whispering a promise. there's still a way out. he'd get them out.

but on the block, when they yanked the bag from the spot it stuck to his hair, he'd thought of it. again, on some rolling antivan hillside, watching her seize and drip bile in the grass. the sunrise had been very pretty, and there'd been a cup in his hands,

and he'd thought of it. how glad he was she'd gone. ]

No.

[ wait for it ]

I should never have let you.

[mournwitch]

L—

( that was so very nearly his full government name out of her mouth. she says, measured, )

Don’t strain yourself with responsibility, Strand, the only thing you’ve ever let me do is sit on your face.

( if there’s anything in this conversation she needs to unpack, emotionally, it’s not happening right now. that is a decision. )

this is probably nsfw a couple comments before this

[anthracite]

[ if the syllable was a warning shot, that means he's winning, ]

It is easier if it was only sex, isn't it? Embarrassing to tail after me all those years for human cock alone —

[ cheap, abundant, etc ]

— But if that was your decision.

sorry about them everyone

[mournwitch]

( in perhaps the most hurtful and easily elided admission of emotional attachment possible, )

Let me disabuse you, up top, of the notion the sex was that good. I should’ve left you for Sarta.

( who is too dead to disavow the implication that was ever an option, )

I made a lot of decisions, and one of them was not to play a losing hand. You should try it.

[anthracite]

I aspire to more than the canary.

[ may riftwatch take keen fucking note when athenais flaps off. ]

Where are you?

[mournwitch]

Why?

[anthracite]

So I can be somewhere else.